4chan and Tumblr are being useless again

So if you are a user of the popular blogspace Tumblr, you might have been flashed some very obscene images from everyone's favorite degenerate hangout space, 4chan.

See, back in the early to mid 2000's, 4chan was a very popular spot on the internet and represents how the internet was back in the day; basic text boards with some image exchange. This was also a time where said things took a billion hours to load on horrid XP based dial up. The internet grew up, but 4chan did not and instead turned into one of the worst shitholes on the internet. Seriously, the place was actually a great place to be and now it's literally like going to North Korea.

Bigger, "better" websites took it's place, for instance; Tumblr. For awhile, Tumblr was a useful service that provided the people of the world a way to post cute images of cats without going on places like Reddit. However, it too has fallen, to the millions of *cough* "social outcasts" and fandom extremities that plague it. Which is where our story begins.

See, there was this Tumblr blog that had a really big problem with 4chan. To the point where it called on Tumblr users to raid the website in the name of social justice and loads of other true or exaggerated crap. Now, 4chan gets "raid" threats constantly, and by raid, it's basically some low key "hackers" using pre made programs to slow down websites. Here was the post

This guy was really into the Nazi stuff, wasn't he?

Now, when some 4chan users pointed this out, the web users retaliated by spamming Tumblr blogs with pornography, gore pictures, racial messages, which Tumblr followed suit by complaining about it on 4chan itself, which in turn incited another spam attack by 4chaners.

You can tell that this is exactly how 4 year olds fight, which is what most of the 4chan and Tumblr users age group averages to.

Now, since I view 4chan as a shit stain on the internet and Tumblr as another shit stain with tear stains mixed in, I viewed this "war" as a childish exchange that accomplished nothing and changes nothing. This is just two immature websites bickering at one another. Really of no concern for anyone, but funny to point out because of the stupidity behind it all.

Basically, this

"OHMAHGAWD GUIES! 4CHANZ AND TUUMBLR ARE FAGGOT...er I mean...FIGHTING!!!!111111"

Moral of the story: Just use Reddit, or Google+, or something besides Tumblr or 4chan.

I hate Religion

How's that for a controversial title?

Ok...so I've been seeing way too many posts on G+ that shits out outrageous crap on my feed. Despite the fact I'm as atheist as you can get, it keeps coming and coming. Blocking and ignoring these accounts gets ridiculous because it just comes back the next day. So I've taken up the opportunity to attack these poster as to how mentally challenged they really are. Of course those said people then go on about how "god" is with them, which I usually request that they go to a mental asylum asap to get their delusions checked.

I hate religion...every aspect of it. Every little thing about it I loath. I don't care how nice you are, if you believe in a god, you're on my shit list.

People who think there are god's in the skies are always ignorant of everyone else besides their god. They ignore history in favor of a poorly written book that is anything but factual.

And they follow that book like a Twilight fan follows theirs....and that spells issues for people like you and me.

I'm a supporter of LGBT and Bi myself, I've seen how aggressive religious folks can be against LGTB's and it's disgusting....they lynch, harass, persecute, scar, torture and execute them without any real justice besides their own twisted version of it.

Plus, you have nations like the US which in my personal opinion is about to fall because they decided to make a non-existent being the maker of their laws. Seriously....the Bible may have some moral guidelines, but don't fucking make it the center of your law

I do not hold back anything when it comes to religion....if you get in my way...I'll let you know personally then insult you for your incompetence. Religion is a bloodthirsty, barbaric, sub human cult that deserves to burn and burn slow.

There's my hate post for today. I don't do those often but honestly with the amount of crap I'm seeing recently surround these delusional groups...I felt like venting my hate onto text.

A List of the Rarest or Most Unique Cars in GTA Online and How to Find Them!

So GTA Online got better really quickly. It only took them several months to do it but they finally got it down. Now that the game is back in action, it's time to address a problem that still plagues the game:

People think the Adder is the shit.

For those who don't know, the Adder is the fastest car in the game. Not only that, but the car is basically a turd that can go fast. Literally, it looks like shit. Any colour on it other than a silver will make it look bad...and please don't get me started with the simpletons that put all chrome on it to make it look cool.

BEHOLD! A TURD WITH WHEELS!

And here my friends....is what dog shit looks like!

See, GTA is about cars that look good. The Adder is far from the greatest looking vehicle in the game. Maybe it's a killer when it comes to races because of it's super speed, but I'd rather not drive a turd down the street for show.

So now that we have the new update on the way that can store more cars, it's time for players to take a crack at cars that may not go as fast as the Adder, but are certainly unique or very rare to obtain. I rarely see anyone with these cars in their garage, so why not expand your horizons a bit?

So let's get started! Let's begin with rare cars!

1. Albany Manana

It's an Emperor with two seats. However, it's best known for being one of the best pimp cars in GTA Online. The Manana has a moderately good speed and belongs in the Sports Classic category. You might not be digging the roof on the car, but you can find this baby without a roof near Grove Street with chrome flames near the front wheels for some killer pimp action. A moderately difficult car to find, but once you find it, the possibilities and customization options are endless.

2. Declasse Tornado

It's that car that everyone wanted in the 1950's. The Tornado that's shown above is the non-rusty version in GTA 5, and while it used to be a very rare car to find, it's spawn locations make it a little more easier to locate. There are two variants, the Tornado above is the convertible version. The other is a hard top version that can be found on the road leading to Grove Street during the night. The hard top is the rarest one to find. Both cars have a huge variety of customization options that will make the inner 50's man in you scream in joy. Give this car a brown paint job and you got yourself the true 1950's experience!

3. Karin Sultan

This was a San Andreas classic, and a must find car in GTA IV. The Sultan is a speedy, good looking 4 door car that has a variety of cool parts to customize. However, it's when this car is fully upgraded that it becomes the speedy Sultan RS. The RS can accelerate to full speed very quickly which makes it the best car for Heists (When it comes out). You certainly can't go wrong with this car once you find it, which can be found near the port during dusk and the early afternoon. This car should be a car that everyone should have; it's quick, snappy and to the point!

4. Vapid Peyote

If you think the Manana is the best pimp car, think again! The Peyote not only is the quint essential car to own if you wish to dawn the pimp suit, but if you find the gang variants near Grove Street, you can ditch the roof and go with a convertible look. This car has a boat load of unique custom parts that can give your car some class, and it's quite fast to boot; even without the upgrades! You'll be the envy of your fellow players when you drive this one to the next car show you participate in!

5. Obey Tailgater 

This is by far, the single most rarest car so far in GTA Online. While I have a feeling this car will end up being purchasable on the shop, right now all I can say is...good luck finding this one! This is actually Michael's car in Story Mode and spawns around the golf course only once per game session, meaning that you can only find one of them spawning in and that's all. Overall, this car is a decent 4 seater with a good variety of custom parts. If not for the Sultan, this would make a really good Heist car. Keep this car black or use a darker colour for the paint job!

6. Romero Hearse

Another really difficult car to find Online. The Hearse is a sedan with a coffin in the back. While the most you can do is change the rims and paintjob, the fact that you can put this car in your garage and make it a personal vehicle is quite cool. I mean, who doesn't want to deliver death in this death-mobile? The best spot to look for it is at the cemetery near the golf course. Check both parking lots during the day and eventually it will spawn in. Just bear in mind that this car is very much a slow slugger and not much of a performer, but hey....it's a hearse that you can paint...what more do you want?

7. Western Daemon

Oh my! A motorcycle! Yes, the Daemon is your classic chopper. It's a bike with teeth and that's all that matters. Resembling a Triumph and a Harley Davidson, this bike has a really cool paint scheme and some nice customization options for you to choose. Plus, it's got some speed to it! Waaaaay better than the crotch rockets you can get from the online store or that ridiculous looking Hex chopper. Honestly if you wish to dawn some leather and ride side by side with the Lost MC, this bike will get you to places; in style!

8. Albany Primo

No, it isn't a can of pasta sauce. The Primo is a 4 door sedan that resembles a fourth generation Toyota Carina. Usually you can find them spawning sometimes near the airport or in the slums of Los Santos. It's a speedy car with some good customization options to choose from. Not a bad car to have in your garage once you find it. To be fair, it isn't exactly rare any more buuuuuuuut it certainly doesn't spawn all the time. This car spawns based on what you're driving so yeah...

10. Sentinel Convertible and Sentinel XS

The third rarest car in the game, with the first being the Tailgater and the third being the Hearse. The Sentinel comes in two flavors; the Convertible (left) and the XS (right). Focus your search near the golf course during the day and eventually you'll see one either parked on the road or driving on it. Not as many custom options as the XS but you do get the convertible roof and the slight speed boost. The XS you get a large amount of things you can customize. It has a little more maneuverability than the convertible Sentinel. Both cars are based on BMW E63 models. 

12. Ocelot F620

Found in the parking lots close to the boardwalk, the F620 made it's debut in GTA IV's TBoGT and is one hell of a car to have in your garage. Be warned though...this car is very difficult to locate. I spent about an hour driving in circles around the boardwalk parking lot just to get this thing to spawn. Hard car to find but oh so worth it once you get your hands on it. This by the way, is based on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

13. A Clean Rebel

Originally, Rockstar removed the ability to put the clean version of the Rebel; which is your basic pickup truck (Very Ford Ranger-y). Now you can go out to Sandy Shores and pick up your clean Rebel once more! You're getting the same package as the normal Rebel that you can buy online, however it isn't rusty aaaan has a few more modification options to choose from so that's something.

14. Declasse VooDoo

If only this car didn't come only in a rusty version. The VooDoo is as pimp as you can get. You'll find this one driving around Sandy Shores and only during the afternoon. Very classy to have in your garage and quite nostalgic concerning it was the must have lowrider in Vice City and San Andreas. If only you can get hydraulics........Rockstar, you know what to do! If you must know, this is based on one of my favourite cars in the world; a Chevrolet Impala from the 1960's. Again I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy wish this car came in a non beater version but I guess you can't have everything.

15. Chevael Picardo

If Jean Luc Picard had a car...he would own the Picardo. However, since this muscle pickup is not related to Star Trek: The Next Generation, you'll just have to settle with not setting a course to Farpoint Station at Warp 9. You can find the Picardo in Sandy Shores and in and around Los Santos. Has no custom options other than windows and tires so for the custom junkies, it's absolute shit. However, I do like the fact that it's a sport-zy pickup car. Also, this car looks awesome in oranges and yellows.

16. Western Bagger

Another unique motorcycle; how cool! Ok, so this is based off a 2013 Harley Davidson Custom and is also good ole Frankie's motorcycle of choice! Basically this is the hardest bike you're going to find and quite honestly, unless you're very lucky and find it in parking lots near the beach, you should probably wait for Simeon's text asking you to locate it. Once you get rid of all the crappy front and rear parts, you got a really good looking bike that looks wonderful in greens, reds, and purples.

Now let's look at unique vehicles that aren't rare per-say, but are really cool. Descriptions will be kept short because...well...yeah.

1. Rescue ATV

Ever wanted to come to someone's rescue on a quad? Well now's your chance with this bright red ATV found on the beach. This car can be put into your garage it's one of the few emergency cars out there that can be personally yours. Can't do anything with it apart from putting insurance on it, but hey! You can be the hero by driving an ATV.

2. Asha

Not the fastest, nor the prettiest....but man that's a lot of stickers. Yes! The infamous car that only could be obtained through evil glitches or at the very beginning of GTA Online has made it's way into the online car shop for your delight. The sticker bomb car obviously has an appeal for those interested in collecting unique cars or are a fan of stickers. Either way, you can buy it and keep it.

3. Obey 9F

Found on the high end car shop online, the 9F isn't exactly the most popular car on there, but with the right paintjob and rims, you got yourself a very futuristic looking car that will compliment your car collection. Basically, if you enjoyed the film "I Robot", then I'm pretty sure you're going to like this car

4. Albany Washington

Made available for purchase after the Business Update, the Washington has been around GTA since the very beginning. It's a traditional 4 door sedan with a Crown Vic look; what more can you want? Of course you want lots of money so you can buy shitty looking super cars instead but that's up to you.

5. Candi Bodi

Trevor's truck. Nuff said....ok so it's a truck that has quite a few custom options to put on plus the ability to ram others without taking significant damage. It's a good truck to have it you like going on rampages in the city. Find this beauty in the car shop online.

6. Declasse Saber Turbo

The Saber! The best muscle car in GTA! Better yet, you can make your Saber into the Green Saber from GTA San Andreas and you got yourself a nostalgia car that you will most likely not let go of! I was really tempted to put this in the rare car list but as it turned out, this thing is everywhere. So why not pick up one today!

7. Albany Buccaneer

It's a Monte Carlo with some style! This was once a really rare car to find but it seems now they can spawn in sometimes with normal traffic. The car has really good handling and speed and some cool custom options. Plus, the gang variant found near Grove Street is really cool too! 

8. Candis Mesa

Otherwise known as the Merryweather Car. This is a fantastic off-road vehicle that looks awesome in it's standard paint job or in bright reds. It also shares the same ramming characteristic that the Bodi has so don't be afraid to ram those silly Adder drivers with this bad boy! Obviously, the only way to obtain this is calling mercs on somebody then plucking the car from their grasps

9. Mariachi Tornado

Your standard rusty Tornado with a twist; it's as Mexican as you can get! The Mariachi car can be found in the mountains very close to that strange nudist place. Basically, go past the mountain overlooking the military base and got to where you see a road that heads straight off a cliff at exactly 19:00 PM (Or 7 PM if you're too silly to understand 24 Hr Time) and you'll be able to find it. Don't take too long though, other wise the drivers of the car will high tail it off the cliff and destroy it. It can keep it as a personal car and it is insurable but the only thing you can do with it is put a bomb in it. 

Well, I guess that's all there is! Again, the reason why you won't find cars like the Adder, Entity XF, Turismo R and the likes is because those cars are so mainstream and so ridiculous looking that it takes the fun away from customizing your rides. Seriously, as I said about the Adder the only colour you can actually use is silver. Also, I've heard a rumour about tomorrow's High Life update that there will be a $1 million gold plate option for your cars that will be introduced. Want to know what it would look like?

Oh yeah, it looks fucking ridiculous

So yeah, if you want to be an idiot and spend a ridiculous amount of money for a ridiculous feature, be my guest!

Why I'm getting excited for GTA's Online

The High Life Update will be out next Tuesday, and with it brings a few well needed changes that will help to balance the gameplay and make things more enjoyable for players like me. Originally I disliked the direction Rockstar Games was going with Online because they left too many things unhinged and sorta broken, such as the bad sport system and the payouts for missions and races. Now that the bad sport system has been fixed to make things easier and the payouts are getting significantly more larger, Rockstar now is aiming to go all out for this update! Let me list some of the key things that I'm excited for

1. More Garage Space: 10 cars is fine, but 20 cars is even better! The big pusher for this update is the new apartments but the secret kicker to this one is the ability to own two separate properties at the same time. Some players may instantly own two apartments but I'm aiming for two garages. Why? Because with two 20 car garages, I can now expand on collecting unique cars. Plus, since you can now arrange those cars in a specific order now, it will make things even more enjoyable!

2. Non Contact Races: Do you hate getting knocked out of the race by some dickwad? Well praise Rockstar for this one! The Non Contact setting will make players unable to crash into one another. You'll just go through the other player. This pretty much eliminates the single most annoying aspect of non GTA Races as it prevents griefing and allows for a more cleaner, pure racing experience.

3. Your Upgrades Are Powerless: I do not own super cars, they're ugly and quite honestly don't serve any purpose. However, it can be annoying when other players have fully upgraded cars that buzz by my stock racer. This will no longer be a problem as another option for races will make those upgraded cars look pretty (?) but go the same speed as the stock cars. Again, this will help to balance the race as it prevents users with upgraded cars from dominating the race over and over again. This makes it so that you actually have to learn to race rather than rely on just your powerhouse super car.

There is just one thing I'm worried about...

4. Car Spawn Changes (?): I have a thing for collecting rare and unique cars. Some cars in my collection were added into the shop and some were simply phased out of existence. The big concern I have is cars like the Tailgater or the Sentinel will end up being put on the shop or removed from the game, therefore kinda killing the sport of finding those cars in the first place. I love spending hours looking for these cars and if they do end up being put on the shop, it will kinda leave a sour taste in my mouth. The update will add new cars and that usually means that some cars already in the game will end up being shifted onto the shop. Hopefully the damage won't be too bad as I would like to still have rare cars that I can hunt for instead of buying them online.

So far +Rockstar Games is recovering well from the nasty disaster they had in GTA Online's earlier existence. If they keep this up, GTA Online will become a very lovable game mode. Just be careful to not forget about the fans that truly know how to play GTA, instead of the 12 years olds that treat it like a FPS.

The Moto 360: A Smartwatch I can live with.

Is it just me, or is Motorola on a roll here?

First they introduce the Moto X, which blew us away with its sleek design and user friendly experience, then they come out with the budget friendly Moto G, that gave us a great experience for a great price. Now, we have the Moto 360.

Oh hell to the yes!

A smartwatch that actually looks like a watch? Yes please.

While we still don't know too much about this new piece of hardware, what we do know is that this product is running Google's newly announced "Android Wear"; an OS specifically made for wearable tech. If you want to see AW in action, here it is.

What we also know is that this device will be heavily into Google Now for general functionality, thanks to AW. That alone will be a treat because Google Now will just work well with wearables.

The only thing that will be the iffy part is the price. How much will the Moto 360 be? Hopefully it will be affordable enough to encourage the average user to buy it. See I say that because many people skip the smartwatch because they're either too expensive or riddled with UI complications and useless features (Seriously Samsung, who the hell wants a camera on a smartwatch?)

Anyways, this might be the first smartwatch I buy if Motorola plays their cards right and delivers this perfectly. Here's hoping!

Why you should buy the Moto G

Motorola has come a long way to produce some spectacular phones. Last year we were introduced to the Moto X, which quickly became a favourite among users.

Though the Moto X might be too much phone for some people, despite the device being simple enough for the average user. Which is why you might want to consider getting yourself a Moto G instead.

The Moto G is a budget phone; a really good budget phone. While I enjoy my Moto X, the Moto G would have provided me with pretty much the same great experience, give or take a few things.

So let me explain to you why you should buy a Moto G over any other smartphone;

1. Price

$149 off contract. Enough said......

But seriously, most big name phones out there are expensive (and for a good reason). Most people when they buy a super expensive phone, either on contract or up front tend to not use a quarter of the phone's features, thus it becomes a waste of your money. $149 for a good display and a good processing package is a bargain.

2. Specs

For a budget phone, the thought of having a quad core processor and an HD display would scare most manufactures. Motorola took a bit of a risk in placing all those things into the Moto G then pricing the device so low. Turns out that their move was a good one which is why the Moto G is selling like hotcakes right now. Basically, you won't be disappointed with your phone's power.

3. Best phone for the Android newbie

The problem with most Android phones, especially the one's made by Samsung is that they are far from being Android representatives and they often scare iPhone users wanting to make the jump. The great thing about the Moto G is that you're getting a stock Android experience (with a few slight tweaks made by Motorola); therefore you will have no trouble in understanding the functions and abilities of your phone.

Here's what you might not like about the phone...

1. Display

To some, 720p is a let down. It is indeed true that 1080p is now the de facto standard in the mobile world. Plus you lose the richness in colour that you got with the Super AMOLED display of the Moto X so it can be a bit of a turn off.

2. RAM

1 Gig of RAM is somewhat laughable now. Most phones sport 2 or 3 GB's of memory for smooth multitasking. While the Moto G is pretty good with multitasking any ways, you do lose a little bit of power.

3. Camera

Smartphone camera's are often the centre point in people's mind when they are about to buy a phone. The Moto G only sports a mere 5 MP rear facing camera, which is a bit of a bummer. Plus, taking pictures with HDR turned on will actually take a lot longer to save the photo than having it off; so if you like your smartphone camera's, the Moto G would most likely be last on your list.

So in conclusion...

The Moto G is great for what it is; a high powered budget phone that moderates what you get in a smartphone but gives you enough to satisfy all kinds of users. You can't really find any other budget phone out there that offers what the Moto G has, which makes it a really great pick for the first time Android user or even for veteran users that come from the high end background.

Believe me, the Moto G will not disappoint you.

12 Year Olds and M rated games

A few days ago I went out and purchased a brand new headset for my Xbox. I needed one because the last one I had broke and there were some friends of mine that the only way to talk to them was through a game. The headset I got wasn't the best thing on the planet but it would get the job done.

While I was opening the package I noticed that the product was for people ages 12 and up. I though nothing of it until I began to realise something..

12 year olds are using this.

Stop and think for a second here....

12 year olds are using this.

12 year olds are openly communicating with other players that can be far older than themselves; yelling, screaming profanities, being a general pest to others.

12 year olds....

Anytime I go online and start to play a game with multiplayer, I'll always hear these young kids acting as though the rules of life not apply. They swear like it's no tomorrow.

Then another thought came to my head.

WHY IN THE FUCKING HELL ARE PARENTS ALLOWING THEIR 12 YEAR OLDS PLAY GAMES NOT MEANT FOR THEM? (Cap usage is cap)


I'm sorry, but when I hear of a 12 year old playing GTA5, it makes me want to give their parents a good smack in the face for being fucking idiots.

There is a reason why a rating system was put into place; to set the ground rules for what ages can play what. M rated games are for adults, not for children.

And because those kids are playing these kinds of games they become accustomed to the bad way of things; they begin to swear, be aggressive towards others before they learn that such things are wrong. All because their parents wanted to make little Billy shut up about GTA5.

Have we really become so light to kids that we just give them what they want even if it's bad for them? What's next? Are we going to give kids drugs and alcohol just to make them shut up about it?

So to all those parents out there; take those bloody games away from them until they're older. Let them play a game that isn't M rated or T rated. Believe it or not, gaming doesn't have to be about Call of Duty or GTA5.

The Nokia X: *snickers*

Shield your eyes folks cause here we go!

It seems that Nokia made true to their work and delivered to us a baby that can only be described as ".....is this really necessary?"

Enter the Nokia X, X+ and XL; it's what happens when Android and Windows sleeps together. I mean look at this thing:

It burns my eyes.

Like many Nokia phones, this one is pretty much the same as the rest. The only real difference is that metro, Window's look is being powered by Android instead of what should be Windows Phone 8; and by god does Nokia really sin with this Android skin.

While it will still remain possible to side load Play Store apps, the exclusion of the Google Play Store in favor of Nokia's own botched app store is a pretty big downside. While of course their own app store will have a lot of good apps (I hope), the idea that users will have to rely on a third party app store is kinda chilling.

Instead of widgets, you get individual colored tiles that you can shape to your liking. It's pretty much what would happen if Microsoft ever got the idea to put widgets in Windows Phone 8 (Not that it's a bad idea).

However, what people should realize is that this is actually a combination of two OS types. You have the Window's like screen then you have Nokia's own Asha Fastlane; which is basically the same concept as HTC's Sense home screen.

The only problem is that you get the flood of apps owned by Windows with your package; Skype, a variety of office apps, that Mix radio thing along with a load of others. Clogging the already tiny amount of storage space

Obviously, this phone isn't intended for high end users. This is low end beyond anything. Here are the specs of the base Nokia X model

• 1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon Processor
•  An 800x480, 4 inch display
• Dual SIM
• 512 MB's of RAM
• 4 GB's of internal storage (With expandable microSD storage up to 32 GB's)
• A 5 megapixel camera
• 1500 mAh battery

I mean, at least it comes in 6 different colors, right?

For North American users, you will most likely never see this phone in the market as Nokia intends to sell this one to developing markets in Asia, The Middle East and parts of Central and South America.

Of course, I have a feeling that sometime in the future; perhaps soon, we will see these kinds of phones pop up in our markets.

So brace yourselves....Windroid is coming.

The Galaxy S5

Reminds me of the original backing for the Nexus 7 (From Android Central)

We've been all waiting for this device and now that it's out; I have to say that I'm kinda "meh" about this one.

The Galaxy S5, the successor to the Galaxy S4 (one of the best selling smartphone out there) was announced not too long ago at the Moblie World Conference. This new device seems to be similar in design to the S4 with an exception to what's under the hood and of course, that new back plate.

Since when did Samsung start taking ques from Google? Isn't that very similar to the back plate for the original Nexus 7? A golf ball, soft texture design? I'm not saying that this is a bad thing; it's certainly better than a slippery plastic back but I would have really liked the textured back plate found on the Note 3 to make a return. Other than that, this is certainly a good design choice.

So, what about specs? Well here's the official spec list from Android Central:

Samsung Galaxy S5 Specifications


Network: LTE Cat.4 (150/50Mbps)

Display: 5.1" FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080)

Processor: 2.5GHz quad-core application processor

OS: Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)

Camera: 16MP (rear), 2.0MP (front)

Video: UHD@30fps, HDR, video stabilization

Video Codec: H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8

Video Format: MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM

Audio Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/ AAC+/ eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC

Audio Format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID,
MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA

Camera Features: HDR (Rich tone), Selective Focus, Virtual Tour Shot, Shot & More

Additional Features: IP67 Dust- and water-resistant Ultra Power Saving Mode Download Booster S Health 3.0 Quick Connect Private Mode Kids Mode

Google Mobile Services: Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube

Connectivity: WiFi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2x2), Bluetooth: 4.0 BLE / ANT+, USB 3.0, NFC, IR Remote

Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture(IR), Finger Scanner, Heart rate sensor

Memory: RAM: 2GB

Internal Memory: 16/32GB

microSD: slot up to 128GB

Dimensions: 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145g

Battery: 2800mAh

Standby time: 390 hrs / Talk time: 21 hrs

The big thing that shot out to me was the updated microSD slot reader. 128 GB's of extra storage? Count me in! It fits nicely with SanDisk's announcement of a 128 GB microSD HDXC card. The heart rate sensor is also an interesting feature, but not practical by any means. I can't see myself having a phone that reads my heart rate; same goes for the fingerprint sensor. I'm sorry, but a fingerprint scanner can be just as dubious as a password.

The 5.1 Super AMOLED display is nothing to shout about either. Though I do enjoy the Super AMOLED display on the S4 and even on the Moto X; this doesn't seem like a big improvement. While the pixel density is vastly better, the display is far from being picture perfect; just your standard super HD display with bright colours. Honestly, we don't really need a super powerful display anyways; something that Motorola understands perfectly with the Moto X and the Moto G. Practical screens can sometimes win over super powerful screens.

Then we come to KitKat. Yes, the S5 will have the latest version of Android covered up by everyone's "favorite skin"; TouchWiz. Let's just hope that when this phone comes out, we can install a custom ROM to make things more enjoyable.

Of course, all this is being powered by an overclocked Snapdragon 800 chip set. 2.3 GHz is really good! However, I would really like to see how the S5 can hold up to a 2.5 GHz, beefed up processor; especially with TouchWiz aboard. Maybe I'm just being a pessimist when it comes to Samsung, but I know from experience how poor the TouchWiz experience can be.

The camera is a bright spot on this phone. The inclusion of ISO means that the S5 can take better photos than what's currently out there. It certainly put's my Moto X's camera to shame. Plus, the camera options are now in a simplistic menu so you won't get confused about where everything is. Good on you Samsung! You finally made something in TouchWiz simple to use!

To sum things up, the Galaxy S5 is impressive.....for spec junkies. Not for users like me who prefers the practical over complexity. The S5 is going to be a great phone and will most likely sell like crazy. However, Samsung has done it again and packed their products with features that will be forgotten after a few weeks using the device. Maybe that fingerprint scanner will be one of the few practical features used on the S5, but I doubt people will take advantage of the gesture features that have made a return to the S5. I know people with the S4 that never use those gestures anyways, and I have a feeling that very few people ever use them at all; except to impress friends or co-workers.

So welcome the S5 to the Android family! We still have the Nokia X to laugh at for it's miserable attempt at the Android market; but at least Samsung is popular around people, right?

Windroid: The eventual "Windofication" of Android

Please read this first; it's an article from Android Authority that is a pretty interesting read and is the basis for my article.

Now, Microsoft is a well know computer company that also has a mobile division that is primarily headed by Nokia. The majority of their phones run a modified version of Windows 8 called "Windows Phone 8". Here's what it looks like:

Interesting, non?

Overall, Windows Phone 8 tends to be pushed aside by many users and for good reason. It says Windows and it looks like Windows, but for the most part it is far from being Windows. App support is virtually limited and many apps that iOS and Android users enjoy fail to show up for the fledging OS. Though Windows Phone 8 is far from bad, it doesn't have the staying power that iOS and Android has.

Which is why I believe Microsoft might just start OK'ing Android phones; not to admit that Windows Phone 8 is a failure, but to take the fire away from Android in general.

Have you heard of the Nokia Normandy? If not then you should know that this  range phone has Android built in....but it looks like this:

Looks familiar, non?

This my friends looks very much like the metro, square-y design of Windows 8, and I believe this was done on purpose. This is the beginning of "Windroid"; Microsoft's attempt to get a squeeze at Android's popularity by pissing on Android in the process. This is done by over-complicating Android in general and stuffing it with unwanted material (ie Windows apps and software) I mean....I though Samsung's version of Android was sin enough, this basically is a +100000000000000 on the sin factor.

The phone isn't out yet, so I have no idea how this device will perform with the OS underneath, but honestly from what I'm seeing, everything about it screams "WINDOWSWINDOWSWINDOWS"; hence why it's not really Android, but Windroid.

And I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see Windroid.

Microsoft has a tendency to jump on the bandwagon of popular trends and they might just start pushing trickles of Windroid phones to try and steal away the sweet sugar of stock and other OEM versions of Android. Will they succeed?

Anonymous is a joke

I'm getting sick and tired of these "crusaders"

Anonymous pushes the line quite a bit in their quest for internet freedom and neutrality. Sometimes what they do is understandable. Other times they really screw up and make themselves look like common criminals with no love for the average person as they so commonly "try" to defend.

One such event that they are planning is not to attack some government installation, but a fandom. You may have heard of Bronies; a fandom that associates themselves with the My Little Pony universe. Now read all of this

I really don't understand this group any more. Here we have a politically involved group attacking a fandom which has done nothing to incriminate them; other than the fact that they exist and Anonymous doesn't like them. It's fucking disgusting.

"Death threats" really catch my eye here...now this group is getting mighty close to being a violent terrorist group all because they don't like a particular fandom. I also love their description on who a brony is; they seem to believe that they are a bunch of disgusting pigs with sexual fantasies and girly ways. Despite me myself not being a brony, I can say with absolute certainty that this description is wrong and quite inaccurate. How can you judge an entire fandom over the actions of a few member?

+Anonymous...is this what you really want? You want to attack the innocent because of your hate? You are nothing but cowards that hide behind a cry for justice that's clearly false. You exploit the innocent in your quest for equality and lose all perceptions of humanity in the process. You want people to see you as one? As a machine that destroys everything it touches? You got it! I no longer support your cause and if you wish to attack me for what I am saying, go right ahead, you will only prove my point.

I doubt that this "attack" will succeed. The Brony Fandom is quite large and has a very dedicated fan base. It's just like Anonymous's attacks on the Syrian Electronic Army that ended with Anonymous being fucked by a very dedicated group; believe me when I say that Anonymous is going to have quite the fight on their hands once this spreads. All I can say at this point is sit back and watch this little adventure crumble.

That's all I have to say, and quite honestly; if I see my blog defaced and hacked; I will honestly laugh at it, because it only shows that Anonymous will eliminate freedom of the press in the name of their mission to give "freedom of the press".

Today's passwords suck!

A few nights ago, a group of hackers hijacked over 2 million usernames and passwords for various social media sites; including Facebook. These were then published online for the world to see and use. I have to say with all this talk on cyber security...there's just one thing that people fail to do; make strong passwords.

The entire list primarily consisted of poorly created passwords; "123456", "password" and even one that was "000000" filled the released list and it made me laugh out loud; how can people be so stupid when it comes to protecting themselves for this kind of attack? Any modern password cracking software can easily break into an account with the password "123456" in less than 10 seconds....10 SECONDS. No wonder why these hackers could get 2 million of these horrid creations. 

Then again...anyone making a password will most likely use something they'll remember easily and that my friends...is where the problem lies.

The key to internet security doesn't necessarily lie in a specific browser or its extensions (It helps, obviously). It does however lie in good password management. First...any good password is at least 12 to 19 characters long and is a mix of symbols, numbers and upper and lower case letters. Secondly, this password should never be the same one after a month and should be changed frequently to maintain security. Third....NEVER SHARE YOUR PASSWORD....EVER. The only real exception to this is if the person is a qualified IT specialist that has to use your password to access account settings and work their magic to solve your problems; however...that being said...don't just give your code to the first guy that says he's in IT; know who you're talking to. Finally....NEVER EVER USE YOUR BANK NUMBERS AND PIN NUMBERS AS A COMPUTER PASSWORD! This is basically shooting yourself in the face if someone gets a hold of that code and means that the same person could go in and make a muck out of your financial bills. Use a password that has absolutely nothing to do with your bank (or your personal life for that matter); you'll stay safer that way.

All in all, this isn't a challenging thing to understand, yet people are so lazy that they'll settle for just about anything. Well, those same people are on that list of exposed passwords and are probably thinking to themselves "Aw gee.....I wonder why that happened". Well....when you have a password that's "12345"...you're basically asking for it.

SpaceBalls sums up my case very nicely

What Rockstar needs to do in order to make GTA Online a great MMO .

GTA online is a mess; a really big mess. Instead of getting a very balanced multiplayer game that kicks ass and take names, we got a game riddled with inexcusable bugs that remains to be fixed, a broken economy that everytime Rockstar decides to touch, just gets even worse and best yet; a redundant punishment system that while is now partially fixed, still makes enjoying the game extremely difficult to enjoy.

I already made a post awhile back on why I left GTA Online, so this is a post on what Rockstar can do to turn themselves around.

1. Get rid of Bad Sport: Period.
The game has a system in which destroying the personal property of other players can land you on a server filled with other, more cynical players that you don't want to be around (racial slurs and stupidity included). Although Rockstar has reduced the punishment for destroying other players cars, it still exists. Quite honestly, for a game which criminality is a norm; this kind of punishment is unwanted. Get rid of it!

2. Fix your servers!
When you have the world in front of you vanishing and slowing you down; that isn't you, its the server and some other person with a bad internet connection. Ok first off, Rockstar needs to use its money to build a server that compensates more efficiently for those low connection players. Secondly, Rockstar needs to increase its capacity for players since you can't host a social party in game that crashes a day after it launched because of the sheer amount of players that joined. So yea....there's no excuse for this.

3. Patch the glitches! Don't punish the players!
Rockstar has a track record for failing to properly patch games of glitches (See Red Dead Redemption). Their idea of dealing with glitches is to merely punish the glitchers; which the user responds kindly by continuing to exploit the game. With GTA Online, Rockstar attempted to patch up their glitches......4 times....all of which failed to solve the problem...AND THEY STILL insist on punishing the glitchers when they know it doesn't work. Seriously, get a grip and patch these glitches once and for all! Punishing the player doesn't work.

4. Don't kill the only legitament way to make money
When Rockstar drops the earnings for missions and races to make players buy their snotty cash cards; that creates a problem. In game micro transactions are bad enough, making players resort to that or glitching is even worse. That's just greed on their part and will win you no respect from your loyal fan base....or, are you simply telling everyone to go f*** themselves and letting us rot? Speaking of censoring...

5. Censor your game site? Really?

This makes no sense. GTA 5 is probably the single most provocative game you can buy right now in terms of sheer content: There's swearing to the extreme, graphic violence, even nudity; FULL BLOWN NUDITY. So, I would like to raise the question as why Rockstar decided to censor it's "Social Club" (A social service for it's gaming community)? Are we promoting this graphic content to 12 year olds now? Is that how we roll now? GTA is not for children, please stop marketing this game for them.

6. Don't release an Add-On pack that has bad content

The only thing interesting that came with the newly released "Beach Bum" pack for GTA5 was the addition of a faster off-road vehicle; that's it. I'm sorry, but I have no need for redundant weapons or clothing that I'm not going to waste my time with or races that are just carbon copies of each other and only focus on their vehicle additions.

7. Get rid of the micro transaction system

I, and hundreds of thousands of other people like me will never pay $20 for fake money. I will not spend money on some "money card" for GTA Online when I can easily glitch that money. People prefer getting it for free than paying for it and quite honestly, with the cuts to mission payouts and the inability to fix their glitches, Rockstar is asking for it. If and when Rockstar finally kills the glitches and forces it's users to rely on "money cards", then I can see this game becoming one of the worst MMO flops to ever grace our consoles.

And finally.....

8. Cap the rank

At this current point, the level system in GTA Online is far from broken; it's a joke. A player can get to level 1000 (or in technical terms, 999) and earn nothing, unlock nothing; as everything there needs to be unlocked is already earned by level 150. Why Rockstar just left the level system like this is beyond me, but it adds an unnecessary system that offers no incentive other than pathetic bragging rights over a rank that gives nothing back. If you've unlocked everything at 150, cap it there! It's not that hard to do that, Rockstar.

That's it. That's all there needs to be fixed currently; and I say that because I expect more to be broken as Rockstar makes a mockery of itself each time they attempt to make things better. I seriously hope that someone, somewhere in that company can bring some order to this broken cesspool of junk.

4.4 On The Nexus 7

After waiting patiently for the update to grace my tablet; I came home to find it waiting for me. It took a short bit to update before my device proudly displayed the new boot animation before me. At long last; KitKat was now a thing on my Nexus 7!

Android 4.4, otherwise known as the KitKat Update was announced in September and released alongside the Nexus 5 on Halloween (funny how an update named after a popular candy bar is announced on a day that involves eating candy) Lucky users like me who got their hands on the Nexus 5 were amazed by just how fast and snappy the update was; of course this treat was escalated with the Google Experience Launcher, which integrated Google's voice search helper "Google Now" into the homescreen; just by simply swiping to the right or by saying "Ok, Google"(For those who want to learn more about the new update; here's Google's official page for the new update). Of course, the Nexus 5 has some powerful specs to power this device so everything was faster than usual, but many Android users waited to try out the KitKat goodness on other devices, including the popular Nexus 7.

So the update came out for my device, and therefore I was eager to try it out! Once my device was updated, I sat down and gave it a spin!

The first thing that appeared was the homescreen, which unfortunately was not the Experience Launcher I had so come to enjoy on the Nexus 5. Fortunately with a bit of tinkering, I got the launcher "working" on my tablet; though there are still plenty of bugs to deal with and swiping to Google Now in landscape mode is a bit slow but manageable.

Besides that, everything about this update remained quite the same; which I'm glad is the case! 4.4 works beautifully on the Nexus 7: Quick, usable and very pleasing to digest! A transparent notification bar and Android function bar (Thanks to the launcher) was a nice touch along side the new colour change from a light navy blue, to a sleek white-ish grey.

One of the highlights of the 4.4 update is the introduction of a new runtime system known as ART, which apon playing it, speeds up the functions of the device in many areas. However, I've found that this experimental system slows down a few apps in loading time by a fraction of a second...but I hope that Google will eventually implement this new runtime to replace the old Dalvik runtime.

Another new feature that I'm fond of is the new full screen effect for certain apps; this means that I no longer have to see the status bar or the on screen Android keys if I don't want to in order to gain some screen space for watching media. Though some apps already could do this before the update, it's good to know that this is now a standard when it comes for apps that stream or playback content.

Android 4.4 is one of the most sweetest updates to the Android OS yet, and those there still remains some unfortunate users who haven't gotten the update yet for their device; I can only assume that by the end of the month, all selected devices will be able to munch on some KitKat deliciousness!

The Google+/Youtube integration is a good thing; now stop complaining!

This is pretty straight forward; I'm finding that people are missing the point regarding the integration of Google+ comments with YouTube which by itself represents a major improvement to what was the hellish system prior to this.

So why the hell is everyone suddenly up in arms about this?

Need I remind those people that now Google+ comments are being used, there will now be a better way to manage user comments and create more organization for YouTubers to manage their content and connect with their audience. Comments can now be moderated; curbing the need for other users to flag that comment multiple times in order for it to disappear. It's quite the joke that people think that this is the end of the world; it's the exact opposite in the fact that YouTube comments will now have some form of maturity. Sure, you will still have the occasional asshole whom is a total degenerate and makes a ridiculously bad comment, but now it's easier to simply censor that person and carry on with important things.

Let's not forget that Google+ is an amazing platform for sharing content with others...far better in my opinion than Facebook or Twitter; as G+ gives you more creative freedom and the ability to express that creativity on a large, social level. With this integration, we will be able to see a good chance in constructive comments and proper moderation that could give YouTube a second chance in social communication.

So sit back, relax a bit and let the real reality of the situation sink in. You might just like what comes out of this!

The Nexus 5; A quiet release from Google

I'm pretty sure we all had a wonderful Halloween; I spend the day touring the wonderful campus of Loyalist College in Belleville so I didn't have a chance to catch up on the news until later in the day.

So...it seems that the Nexus 5; the successor to the Nexus 4 was announced alongside Android 4.4.

At first I though there was some press conference video regarding this announcement, however the only thing that was available was a commercial. Then I though to myself "I was right all along.."

I made a G+ post in Android's Nexus community page, in which I proposed that Google would make a quiet release of the Nexus 5 (here). Turns out I called it.

Instead of spending alot of money on a major press conference, the Google team simply made a post on G+ that the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 are official. Then, they begun to post various commercials about the device and updated their Nexus page to include the elusive device. No where was a press conference, nor was their a "Breakfast" event that we were treated with when the Nexus 7 and the Chromecast was announced.

So let me explain why Google did this; it's a thing of genius really.

Google purposely leaked images and content regarding the Nexus 5 (and Android 4.4) to cause a stir within the Nexus and Android community. These leaks cost Google nothing; that's the genius behind it all. The fact that Google didn't even need to spend too much on public press conferences and advertisements meant that they could focus their attention on other important events regarding Google Play and of course, Google+. 

The plan was well executed (if you count all the barbaric and quite repulsive comments made by Android fans to be part of the plan), and it represents a new way of marketing a product; one which social media was heavily used in order to get the word out about the Nexus 5 and create excitement about the product to promote sales. The idea that you can take a few pictures of a product, post it on the web and let the public have at it allows for that company to spend less on actually advertising the product all while answering the 4 P's of Marketing.

So kudo's to Google for a fantastic marketing plan! If only everyone else had your marketing genius!

Cut this Nexus 5 crap already.

I'm getting tired of all of these "Android" fans going apeshit over a product that as far as we know, doesn't even exist yet.

The Nexus 5; the suppose successor to the Nexus 4 has been making headlines in the tech community. Though everything points to the device being a very powerful Android phone, we still have yet to receive any real confirmation from Google; and any rumour made about the device is treated as if it's a sacred script.

It's ridiculous and it's making Android fans look like little children bickering at each other over a product that isn't even a thing yet. What's even worse is the amount of anger and resentment from these kids regarding both the Google Play Event and the Google+ event that happened today. Comments like "WHERE IS THE NEXUS 5!?" or "OMG GOOOGLE ARE FAGGOTS" provide testament to the immaturity and general asshatery that these kids are presenting to the table.

Here is the cold, hard truth; Google is marketing this new device by using rumour and purposely released leaks to stir the community up and excite us. Unfortunately, what this has created is overly hyped up people which expects everything to be related to the Nexus 5.

To those who act like twats about the Nexus 5 and fit in the category which I described, I shall say this:

Get a grip...it's time to grow up.

I'm done with GTA Online and here's why.

GTAV is an incredible masterpiece! It's vibrant, rich in entertainment and above all; carries a unique atmosphere which no other game can reproduce. However, I cannot say the same for the sister game; GTA Online.

Yes, technically the Online aspect is apart of GTAV but in it's own right it can be considered it's own game; a horribly broken game I might add.

Let's start with the bad sport/good sport system. This was implemented in my opinion to control griefing and to curb the destruction of personally bought vehicles. On paper the system is perfect, however when implemented it's a disaster and a threat to the very foundation that made GTA an enjoyable game for any and all.

We'll start by using my example of how I got listed as a "bad sport". I do not go around destroying other players randomly, and yet I do actively hunt bounties down with whatever I can get my hands on; that's apart of the game and it's a system that in my opinion spices things up in the otherwise dull freeroam environment. However, if I decide to drive up next to the wanted player, throw a sticky bomb at their car and detonate it; the game flags me for destroying a personal car and therefore, I get labeled as a bad sport.

Doesn't that seem kinda odd to you? I mean, I rightly claimed the bounty and I used the weapons at my disposal to eliminate him; you could say that I could have just shot him instead of destroying his car, but isn't that far from the point? I should be able to use whatever I have to complete a task that is legitimately apart of the game and not be called out by some automated system that tells me that destroying personal property is bad.

That's another thing I have an issue with; this whole premiss that destroying personal cars is bad. Sure, you put good money into those cars and they can be a luxury item for players, however, when that player take that car out for a joyride, shouldn't they accept the risk that someone, somewhere will walk up and damage or destroy that vehicle with or without provocation? I mean, considering this is a game that takes criminality and general sin to the max, you can expect that behaviour to occur when 16 players a thrown into a freeroam environment to do whatever they please.

One argument that goes against what I'm saying is the fact that there are other game modes for that kind of stuff (deathmatch, GTA races, etc). Here's the thing though, many players will probably not want to do races or death matches, because those players prefer the more open environment. You can't just ignore those players as they make up the majority.

So, how do you fix this? Remove it entirely. There is no compromise to be made here. Quite honestly, it's a system that doesn't belong in the series at all. Players must be aware of the risks associated with using their cars in a freeroam environment and those who destroy them should not be labeled as bad sports and griefers; as labeling them as such for doing an activity that is promoted by the GTA series in the first place just seems ridiculous. 

I can only hope by the amount of hate mail and support messages (not to mention the ridiculous amount of 4chan tainted trolling and idle threats made by script kiddies), this topic will force Rockstar to respond to the situation. However, until then, I strongly urge you to stop playing GTA Online. I will still play offline as that is not flawed in anyway and doesn't deserve to be shunned; however I will focus my online activity to other games.

As for Rockstar, I am disappointed in the conduct that they have taken apart off with this bad sport system. If it were implemented correctly, then it would have been perfect; but it wasn't and players are  being subjected to unnecessary punishment for something that made GTA what it was; an uncontrollable, criminally simulated rampage for a mature audience to enjoy and fall in love with. In all honesty, the message that they are sending is making me think that GTA Online is appealing to the wrong audience. 

A closer look at the Nexus 7 (2013)

There are plenty of reviews out there that will tell you about the latest and greatest of tech products. The new Nexus 7 is one of those latest and greatest product to come out during the late summer. This new tablet is considered a budget tablet by many and yet it is considered one of the best tablets on the market. So, what makes this tablet so great?

Before we look at that, let's look at the origins of the Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 is a joint project by Google and Asus that first made it's debut in 2012. The original model was short and stubby. It could fit nicely in one hand, and with the dimpled, golf ball like back cover, gave excellent grip. As far as specs goes, it was all good; a Tegra 3 processor that for it's time was perfect and a display that wasn't bad, but was good for what it was. However, what's important about this tablet is that it kick started the Android tablet craze and for the first time; challenged the very existence of the iPad the later released iPad Mini.

The Nexus 7 (2012). I call it "The Golf Ball Tablet"

But a year went by; tablets were becoming more and more powerful and the once strong Tegra 3 processor was now showing it's age (quite badly I should add). Samsung was now producing tablets that had a more shock and awe effect. Clearly, by the beginning of 2013, the Nexus 7 was far behind everyone else in power.

Enter the new Nexus 7. Again, a joint project between Asus and Google.

The new Nexus 7: Beautiful, non?

The new Nexus 7 is slightly taller than it's predecessor (by just a fraction of a centimeter) and yet still has the size to make it a portable tablet. Like it's older brother, it can fit in your pocket quite nicely, though it still is awkward when you attempt to crouch down to put on your shoes. Personally though, I prefer to keep my tablet along side my Chromebook in my net book bag.

The new device packs significant changes in hardware, yet has a similar design to it's older brother. Though the golf ball like back is gone, there still is a rubbery-plastic back that makes the device easy to grip. The device also is lighter than many 7 inch tablets; increasing it's portability. It kinda reminds me of the back of a Kindle Fire, though to say that this device is like the Kindle Fire is kinda putting it down. The Nexus 7 has more bite and sass than Kindle's budget tablet.

With a 1920x1200 display at 343 ppi, the Nexus 7 has the best display of any 7 inch tablet. Everything is crisp and clear; images are bright and colourful, videos are sharp and text is print perfect. With that kind of display, you can expect that this device was created for one real purpose: Entertainment. A statement that is further proven by the hardware.

A Quadcomm Snapdragon S4 processor at 1.5 GHz, Adreno 320 Graphics Chip and 2 Gigs of RAM power the new tablet. One may say that the processor is a year old but unlike the Tegra 3, this chip has aged nicely and can still hold out on it's own against the newer Snapdragon 800 series. You get a real sense that just by how responsive the device really is once you start using it. Like the previous generation, you can expect your Nexus 7 to do what you want it to do, without having fear that it will bug out on you.

What this translates to, is that you are getting a very powerful entertainment platform. Gaming is definitely the highlight as it's smooth and responsive. Playing games such as GTA Vice City and Minecraft PE was an enjoyable experience on the Nexus 7; everything was smooth, even at the highest quality settings for both games. The dual band Wi-Fi also delivers nicely with videos and live streaming media. Youtube was a treat on the Nexus 7, as watching videos in full 1080p HD was glorious. Seriously, it was fantastic!

A 3950 mAh battery powers the device, and though it is smaller than the battery found on the original Nexus 7, it does not fail to deliver. Google claims that you can get 9 hours for watching HD content, and so far; this is pretty accurate. Watching the entire Let's Play Minecraft playlist from Rooster Teeth brought the battery down to just under 50%. Gaming however, is where the battery shows it's cards though. Playing Vice City drained my battery to 50% in under 3 hours. It's not optimized like the Nvidia Shield is, but it should be good enough for casual and hardcore gamers alike.

An interesting addition to the tablet is the 5 MP rear facing camera. It certainly isn't suppose to be a selling point by all means, but then again; you're getting a decent camera to use. You get all the camera features found on the Nexus 4, so yes; Photosphere is apart of that bundle. I'm not a fan of taking photo's on a tablet but then again I'm not complaining. You also get the same 1.2 MP front facing camera from before, which is good for your Hangouts, Skype using, and the occasional self photo.

Another addition is the inclusion of dual stereo speakers with a sort of surround sound built in. It certainly isn't home theater style surround sound and one shouldn't expect it to be. However, the sound is still rich and high in quality. I still prefer headphones and I can say with great pride that listening to music is a great treat!

There are plenty of other neat stuff that makes it to the Nexus 7; a notification light, SlimPort compatibility and the movement of the headphone jack to the top of the device to name a few. These minor additions still add up to make the Nexus 7 a great treat.

Like all Nexus devices, the new Nexus 7 runs stock Android; that means no bloatware and no secondary software upgrades. It's basically a blank slate for you to modify to your own personal enjoyment. The new tablet runs Android 4.3 and though the new update doesn't come with many fantastic improvements, it does bring along a few unique features, such as the inclusion of restricted profiling. Other than that, many Nexus 7 users will be awaiting the arrival of Android 4.4, which comes out mid-October.

So with all this power, it raises a question; does the new Nexus 7 beat out the iPad and iPad Mini? Benchmarks show that the iPad 4 does have a higher score than the Nexus 7, but keep in mind that Apple's way of speeding things up is reducing the quality of apps and media to fit the low specs of their products. The iPad Mini on the other hand is totally overshadowed by the Nexus 7's display, specs and design. I don't dig the structural integrity of the Mini and it just feels like it will break apart from one drop. That feeling doesn't exist with my Nexus 7. It feels sturdy and can take some punishment, though I wouldn't honestly trust it to survive falling a meter onto concrete. Then again, most devices wouldn't survive a fall like that anyways.

The Nexus 7 comes in three flavors; 16 Gigs, 32 Gigs and 32 Gigs with LTE. Now LTE does not mean that the Nexus 7 is a phone; it simply gives the user access to the internet without the need of Wi-Fi. Now in my opinion if you live in a big city such as Toronto or New York, Wi-Fi isn't an issue, though I can see an LTE version having some use in a rural area.

As far as price goes, you can expect to be forking over $224 to $344, depending on what model you go with. For a "budget tablet" this is a good price, yet you feel like you payed more for it once you start using it. It's a nice feeling, especially when you didn't pay for a $600 mediocre tablet such as the iPad Mini.

Now, if and when Apple releases their newest line of iPad products and if they will be better than the Nexus 7 is currently unknown, but if they go with the same route as they did with the iPhone 5S, Android users have will have nothing to worry about.

Altogether the Nexus 7 is already shaping itself to become one of the best 7 inch tablets in the market and is definitely a great successor to the original model. It's small enough to follow you where ever you go and it has the power to get anything and everything done when you want it done. I definitely recommend the Nexus 7 to anyone looking to get their loved ones or themselves a powerful device for the upcoming holiday season!